Dental Assistant
Services

Infection Control

Course Description ¦ Prerequisites ¦ Typical Course Sequence ¦ Becoming a CDA Certificant
See when this course is offered ¦ Register for this course

Course Description

The Infection Control course is designed to prepare you to take the infection control exam offered by the Dental Assisting National Board's (DANB's) exam on infection control. The infection control exam is one of three exams required to become a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA

) certificant in NJ.

All of the information necessary to pass the DANB

exam will be covered in this course. Students will be introduced to Picture of infection control items

all relevant terminology, techniques, and procedures in a classroom setting. Procedures will be demonstrated by the instructor so that you can see first hand how to perform the procedures being taught. Some of the subjects that will be covered and discussed in this course include microbiology, transmittable and bloodborne diseases, cross infection, modes of transmission, the potential for employee exposure to infectious materials, sharps disinfection, sterilization, barrier protection, personal protective equipment, hazardous communication, materials, waste, labeling and spill clean up, and exposure incident procedures.

All current and applicable OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines will also be discussed. Additionally, all students will receive a thorough course manual describing the content of the course that can be used for reviewing and studying the material. Course manuals are provided in class. No additional textbook purchase is required. This course runs for a total of seven 2½ hour class sessions.

While most students will take this course for the purposes of preparing for the DANB

exam on infection control as they work towards obtaining their CDA

certification, there are other reasons that some students may choose to take this course.

OSHA has a requirement that all dental offices offer an annual infection control training session for all employees reviewing and updating them on current OSHA standards and regulations. If you have not already had that training through the office where you work, this course would satisfy that requirement. Please note: This course is not the same as the OSHA Regulations course.
The Infection Control course can also be taken (or retaken) as a way of earning 15 continuing dental education (CDE) credits. Click here to register or learn more about taking Infection Control for CDE credits.

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites in order to take the Infection Control course. However, it is recommended that you first take Introductory Dental Assisting if you do not have prior experience and familiarity with these eight items. Most students will also have taken the NJ State Radiology course and will likely be a Licensed Dental Radiologic Technologist (have their dental x-ray license), and will likely be employed and/or have some dental assisting experience. However, these are not mandatory prerequisites for taking the Infection Control course.

Typical Course Sequence

This chart displays the usual order that students will take our courses and the order in which they obtain their credentials. For a more detailed overview, please click here.

Credential/License:	Courses:	Exams:
N/A	1. Introductory Dental Assisting	None
Dental X-Ray License (LDRT)	2. NJ State Radiology	Radiation Health & Safety (RHS )
Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) Certificate	3. Review of Radiation Health & Safety* 4. Infection Control 5. General Chairside	Radiation Health & Safety (RHS ) Infection Control General Chairside
Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)	6. Expanded Functions	Expanded Functions

*If you obtained your dental x-ray license in NJ you will most likely not have to take the Review of Radiation Health & Safety course in order to obtain a CDA

certificate.

Becoming a CDA Certificant

In order to become a CDA

certificant you will need to meet the following requirements:

You must show documentation of having earned a high school diploma in the United States or its equivalent.
Once you feel ready you can complete an application to take either the full CDA exam in one four-hour session or you may take each of the three component exams separately. The three component exams (or the three parts of the full exam) are:

Radiation Health & Safety
Infection Control
General Chairside

You must have and show documentation of 3500 hours of experience (in no less than two and no more than a four year period at some point in your career.) working as a dental assistant and a valid CPR certificate before you can sit for and take the General Chairside Exam.
When your application has been successfully processed, a DANB letter entitled "Test Admission Notice" will be mailed to you. At this point you can schedule your exam.
After successfully passing either the full CDA exam or the three separate component exams you will receive an official score report in the mail. When you have met all of the requirements, you will automatically be mailed a CDA certificate. If you choose to take the exams separately you must complete all three within a five year period. You do not need to apply separately for your actual CDA certificate after passing the full exam or the three component exams.

The process of obtaining a CDA

certificate can be confusing as there are several components, several options, and multiple applications. At Dental Assistant Services we try to simplify the process as much as possible. We've been through the process several times and are here to offer you the benefit of our experience. We will not simply teach you the course content and send you on your way. We understand the process and how confusing it can be, and will actually take the time to walk you through that process.